JK govt foils 14 attempts to burn schools in state

New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir government has been able to "thwart 14 attempts to burn schools last month" by terrorists who have set ablaze 31 schools in a series of attacks, Union Minister of State for HRD, Mahendra Nath Pandey said in Lok Sabha.

He also enumerated measures being taken by the local Education department to helps schools make up for lost time due to unrest in the valley.

"Adequate heating arrangement in the classrooms, hostels, hot water supply, cancelling of winter vacation for academic staff and increase in weekly contact hours for each course," he said.

The minister also informed that the School Education Department of the state government of J&K had categorised schools in three different categories on the basis of threat perception namely "normal, sensitive and hypersensitive."

"All sensitive and hypersensitive schools have been provided round the clock watch and ward staff by redeploying the available manpower of education department.

"The measures taken by the state government to protect the schools have resulted in thwarting 14 attempts to burn the schools during last one month," said Pandey.

However, according to the MoS, there has been no proposal from the state government to the Centre regarding "closed or burnt schools" in Kashmir valley. PTI JC RG

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.

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